AFFLICTING THE COMFORTABLE: JOURNALISM AND POLITICS IN WEST VIRGINIA

9. "Run It Up the Flagpole

Chapter 9 "RUN IT Up THE FLAGPOLE" GOVERNOR BARRON ENJOYED one distinct advantage not afforded any ofhis predecessors . West Virginia celebrated its hundredth birthday during his administration . During the centennial year of 1963 Barron made numerous public appearances around the state, attending a hundred celebrations, according to his staff. President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson were among the honored guests at two of these events which helped make the year a resounding success . West Virginia marked its centennial with taste, fanfare, and aplomb, and Barron was the genial host of the year-long festivities. New programs celebrating West Virginia's history and heritage were launched in conjunction with the centennial. An old river scow, anchored at Charleston's levee, was converted into a classic showboat and christened the Rhododendron, complete with actors in period costume performing oldfashioned melodramas for the passengers' entertainment. The Cass Scenic Railroad offered visitors the chance to ride an old steam locomotive up an abandoned logging spur through one of the wildest and most pristine areas of the state. It became so popular that the state made it a permanent summer attraction and eventually began restoring the old logging town of Casso The first National Youth Science Camp, which would become an annual event, was held at Green Bank's radio astronomy center. At the New York World's Fair of 1963-64, hand-blown glassmaking demonstrations made West Virginia's one of the most popular pavilions. Visitors could watch a vase, goblet, or figurine "RUN IT UP THE FLAGPOLE" being fashioned by some of the state's best glassblowers, then purchase that or a similar item in the pavilion's gift shop. BARRON'S INTEREST IN PROMOTING new ideas as part of the state's centennial helped breathe life into the arts-and-crafts movement, which was a faltering cottage industry when he took office. All over West Virginia there were men and women who were still creating beautiful furniture, toys, jewelry, musical instruments, quilts, ceramics, and baskets by hand, the cultural legacy of their pioneer ancestors. But such craftspeople were a dying breed. There was little or no marketplace for their creations, and a unique part of the state's heritage stood in imminent danger of being lost. From time to time the subject would be raised, but government support for a crafts revival went no further than lip service. The outlook changed, however, when Barron and Kennedy came into office in the same election. Both wanted desperately to end the poverty that gripped their constituencies, and both were looking for solutions to this dilemma. Casting about one day for a subject for my column- the bane of all columnists ' existence- I decided to write about this problem. The further I got into the subject, the better I liked it. As the final paragraph came together, I decided to ask for an appointment with the governor. He agreed to meet with me a week or so later, and I was given thirty minutes to discuss the ideas sketched out in my column. I outlined the history of crafts as best I could. I talked about the absence of a marketplace for these creative riches and suggested that the governor petition his friends in the White House for money to fund a training program to allow a younger generation to learn the skills of their elders. Barron liked it. "See Commerce Commissioner Smith, and let's get started," he said. "We can at least run it up the flagpole and see if it flies." The winds were strong. The flag flew. Smith's first step was to inventory the scope of skills around the state. He then applied for federal training funds to develop an apprenticeship program for young people. He and his staff managed to locate a surprising number of West Virginia craftspeople with the 104 CHAPTER NINE ability and willingness to teach their particular proficiencies to others. The training program was set in motion. Passing on these skills to a new generation and marketing the crafts produced were the impetus for the first Mountain State Art and Craft Fair held at Cedar Lakes near Ripley in the summer of 1963 as part of the state's centennial celebration. Smith invited Billy Edd Wheeler, Nashville recording artist and a native ofWhitesville, West Virginia, to the opening luncheon as the featured entertainer. Wheeler delighted the entire crowd ofVIPs with the debut of his...